In which we explore the options for getting round Bristol, and the consequences of those decisions

Sunday, 7 November 2010

2nd2none shows how it's done

Yes we've seen this car before. The miracle that is an internet-scale index/search engine tells us we saw WR08HXK in exactly the same place in Chedworth Road, Horfield, back in March.

Well, before your customers are ready for the pavements of Monty, you need to teach them how to get on and off the kerb safely, and quiet roads like this with plenty of dropped kerbs are ideal. One issue though: six months? And their customer is still learning? That's not good.

11 comments:

As the owner of 2nd2none Driving school i do not appreciate one of my driving school cars and registration plate being used in this way. If there is a problem with any of out cars i would appreciate a call from the person about the problem. In that area of Horfield many people park over the pavement because of the lack of road space. The car in question is actually based at this location so you will find this vehicle here most days when not out working. So i might also add that your comment about the learner taking 6 months is also out of order. On average a new learner takes upto 40hrs and beyond. DSA figures. On average a pupil will do one hour a week, 40hours at one a week is nearly 9 month. I guess by this comment you dont actually drive and are simply a busy body with nothing better to do than ride around complaining about trivial things like this. How about riding around and videoing homeless people on our streets or the abuse of drugs in our society, something important like that. In future if there is a problem, come direct to me with it.

Thank you for clarifying the time for a learner to drive, we were concerned. The fact that your driver chooses to park on the pavement is their choice and does not reflect in their teaching skills.

Can we note that you appear to be taking our commentary as some kind of criticism? The only time we have ever said anything mildly negative about your company was when we did see them park on the road in montpelier, rather than the pavement in front of the bike path. While technically such an action is what drivers SHOULD do, we all know that in Bristol, from Montpelier to Horfield, the real skill is getting your wheels up on the pavement without damaging them.

In response to your comments about being seen parked on the pavement on the bristol traffic blog, I would like to draw your attention to Highway Code rule 244 which clearly does not permit this action in London or elsewhere.

By failing to park properly, you are not exactly teaching good habits to your pupils. It doesn't take much effort to stay within the rules, but I witness this lazy parking all the time in Bristol. I've even seen driving school cars park on double yellow lines, in cycle lanes, blocking dropped kerbs...this list goes on.

My late uncle owned his driving school for 35 years and he taught me to drive in 1981.I recall getting told off if I parked too close to the kerb, let alone on it!.

As you might guess, I contribute to the bristol traffic blog. I photograph illegal, dangerous and downright lazy parking as it is anti-social and simply underlines how car-centric and addicted our society has become. Catching driving school's out is just the icing on the cake.

Please endeavour to park properly as it's a lesson you ought to be passing on to your pupils.

Of course we teach our pupils to park correctly but anyone can clearly see that these roads are far to small to do that. Would you all prefer everyone parks on the road correctly and as such blocks the road so it can not be used? I would never condone any car parking on double yellows or too close or opposite a junction and if any of our cars were caught doing this, this would lead to disciplinary action of the driver involved. However at times parking on the pavement is unavoidable as to keep the road clear for other users.

Your assertion that the alternative is to block the road is mistaken; there is enough capacity in these roads to have all the vehicles on one side. This is not montpelier we are looking at -it is the horfield/lockleaze border -and a quiet road there.

Your business model is about encouraging people to drive, and as such you have helped create the conditions which you say force your staff to park on the pavement. Well, until the police ticket them for causing a blockage, they are free to do so.

However -and we have verified this with the Information Commissioners Office- we are free to put photographs of our city's streets up online. You have to recognise, therefore, that because your vehicles are distinctively marked that this will result in our web site appearing in search terms, and that this could impact your brand. Yet by parking on the pavement, anyone walking past would already see the driving instructor vehicles parked on the pavement. This would either reinforce their mistaken belief that they are allowed to park there "The driving schools do it, so can I", amuse them by the irony of the situation "out of hours they ignore the stuff they teach their pupils", or perhaps even build trade "oh look, there is a car in my way, maybe I should drive instead of trying to walk round".

All the Bristol Traffic site does is share the experience more broadly. It accepts contributions and commentary from around the city, and some of the contributors clearly celebrate driving school vehicles parking in ways that would fail the test. Note that "Robbie's" appears on the site more than your own, though without information about the number of vehicles each company has, that fact is fairly meaningless.

The way google indexes things -with a bias to new content-, if there is no further coverage of your vehicle driver's parking decisions then the Bristol Traffic pages will gradually drop down the list of responses, eventually to disappear.

2nd2none do seem to get around don't they I've had an occasion when they blocked my driveway and when confronted the instructor with this issue I was basically told to go away and reproduce, then the same driving school the next day was actually seen parking on zig zags next to a crossing just so the pupil could get to the cash point no wonder the the roads are the way they are if learners are taught to this standard

2nd2none do seem to get around don't they I've had an occasion when they blocked my driveway and when confronted the instructor with this issue I was basically told to go away and reproduce, then the same driving school the next day was actually seen parking on zig zags next to a crossing just so the pupil could get to the cash point no wonder the the roads are the way they are if learners are taught to this standard

Does lack of road space for cars give them the moral or legal right to assimilate space from pedestrians?. No - it does not.

If there is not enough room to park, then don't park there - simples!!. Find somewhere legal and with enough space and walk to your destination. A hundred yards isn't going to kill you!. People should stop blaming road design for what, frankly, is their own laziness.

You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.

[Law GL(GP)A sect 15]

Highway code rule 243

DO NOT stop or park

... * anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services

If you can't comply with both of the above and not obstruct the highway then the place you consider to be a parking space is not actually a place that is good to park.. so park elsewhere.

2nd to none? Even the name sounds like the selfish attitude that drivers are afflicted with throughout Bristol. I wonder where they get it from? Couldn't be the slack attitudes they're taught when learning to drive could it?

"I guess by this comment you dont actually drive and are simply a busy body with nothing better to do than ride around complaining about trivial things like this."

Because as we know, people who don't drive are simply busybodies with too much time on their hands. If they'd just do the honourable thing and drive like normal people they'd be far to busy and stressed trying to afford their car and pavement park...